Another 'will she grow' question!

[PoppyAnderson]

I know that no one has a crystal ball but.....I have a very special 3 year old, 4 in a couple of months. She's a gypsy cob but a very rare one and I got very lucky in buying her. She's 14hh right now dead on but realistically, just a bit too small for me. I really don't want to sell her but if she doesn't get a wriggle on with growing, it may well come to it. Have I got any hope of squeezing a bit more out of her? She sometimes looks a bit bum high, sometimes not but not remarkably so.

 

[Hormonal Filly]

It completely depends on the horse. Have you done the string test?

I have a 6yr old who was 14h at 3, told by the previous owner and my vet he wouldn’t get above 14.2 and he’s now pushing 15.2. He was never bum high, just had growth spurts from about 3 1/2 - 5. His parents were 14.1 and 14.2.

Yet another friend paid a hell of a lot of money for a filly to make 16.2, she only made 15.1! Just never grew.

Keep her - you never know 😊

 

[bonny]

I’m intrigued by your description of your cob, what makes her rare ? Pictures ? I imagine she will still grow, in a year she could be very different to now

 

[Louby]

Im willing my 4 yr old to grow, bought at 3 as 15.3, I think she may scrape in at 16.1 now. Ive recently done the string test and if I go by that we've got another 4 inches!! I cant see it at all but would be happy with another couple of inches and for her to fill out.

 

[PoppyAnderson]

Aimee, I'm going to cling on to your comment with hope! Not done string test, no. Didn't think you could on a nearly 4 yr old.

I've posted pics on here of my other horses over the years but I won't do pics of this one! Too special and recognisable!

I too would be happy with another couple of inches. Another hand would be amazing but I'd settle for anything tbh!

 

[Meowy Catkin]

I did the ergot to elbow string test on my adult mares, turned out that they weren't going to grow anymore LOL!

I did that because when I string tested my gelding (who was a youngster at that point) it came out with a stupidly tall height. So I did the cannon string test too and that also said a stupidly tall height. So I wanted to test 'the string test' on a fully grown horse to test it's accuracy. Thankfully gelding just has silly long legs due to his blood lines and didn't grow to stupidly tall height. Phew!

 

[Orchard14]

Do you know anything about her heritage, including her parents/siblings and their height/growth rate? I bought a rising 2yo at 14.3 hoping for 16.2 she rapidly grew a hand in about 6-8 months which freaked me out and I was worried she would become too big (her full brother is reaching the 18h barrier at 7) but then she just stopped for a good 18 months to 2 years and I thought that was it. Now she’s rising 5 and a solid 16.1. I spoke to her breeder who also bred her dam, apparently she’s following the same growth rate as her dam who finished at 16.3 at 8/9 years old - her sire is 17h. She string tested at 16.2 1/2 so seems like that might be quite accurate.

Obviously each horse is different but I would no way consider your horse finished just yet!

 

[Blurr]

[QUOTE=" Not done string test, no. Didn't think you could on a nearly 4 yr old.

I've posted pics on here of my other horses over the years but I won't do pics of this one! Too special and recognisable!

I too would be happy with another couple of inches. Another hand would be amazing but I'd settle for anything tbh![/QUOTE]

The limitations on the string tests are that you can't do them on anything less than a year old. You can string test anything over that, at any age, either the ergot to elbow or knee to coronet.

 

[_HP_]

Who can tell....
My mare is 6 this year. Dam 16.2hh ShirexCob, Sire 17hh Clydesdale. My mare is stuck at 16hh. String test says she has another hnad to go but we'll see.
Her half brother , same age(same Sire, 15.3hh Dam) is easily17hh

 

[PoppyAnderson]

Yep, know her breeding. Will go and have a good nosy through it all again.

Did string tests this morning. Felt a bit inexact and it's hard on hairy legs to be precise about where everything is but it didn't fill me with hope that she's going to suddenly have a growth spurt ☹️

 

[Hormonal Filly]

Aimee, I'm going to cling on to your comment with hope! Not done string test, no. Didn't think you could on a nearly 4 yr old.

I've posted pics on here of my other horses over the years but I won't do pics of this one! Too special and recognisable!

I too would be happy with another couple of inches. Another hand would be amazing but I'd settle for anything tbh!

I'm intrigued, please do message me a private photo of her if you have one. Would love to see her Have a coloured cob myself but never seen one classed as rare.

 

[Coblover63]

My coloured traditional cob was 13.3hh at two but only topped out at 14.1. He's rising 10 now so growth is very over.

My traditional mare grew an inch between 6 and 7 which really surprised me.

 

[GoldenWillow]

My traditional coloured cob was just under 14hh when I bought him as a 4 yr old, he was a latish foal and pretty immature. As a 9 yr old he'd just measure in as a 148cm if my numerous measures are correct. He grew 1/2" or so in the Spring last year.